While one leader, K Laxman, questioned her credentials for being appointed as the brand ambassador of Telangana, another leader from the same party, Prakash Javadekar , has hailed Sania to be India’s pride.
The controversy started when BJP leader K Laxman on Thursday flayed the TRS government’s decision to appoint tennis star Sania Mirza as brand ambassador of the newly carved-out state, terming her as “daughter-in-law” of Pakistan and questioning her credentials for the honor.
Sania was born in Maharashtra and settled in Hyderabad only later and, hence, is a “non-local”, he told reporters here and sought to dub her as “daughter-in-law” of Pakistan, pointing out that she was married to that country’s cricketer Shoaib Malik.
He further accused the government of taking the step with an eye on the minority community votes in upcoming elections to the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation.
Asserting her Hyderabadi roots, Sania said her ancestors had contributed to the city and her marriage to Malik does not take away the fact that she remains an Indian citizen.
“I am married to Shoaib Malik, who is from Pakistan. I am an Indian, who will remain an Indian until the end of my life,” the 27-year-old insisted.
“It hurts me that so much precious time of prominent politicians and the media is being wasted on a petty issue of my being appointed the Brand Ambassador of my state of Telangana. I sincerely believe that this precious time should be spent on solving the more urgent issues of our state and country,” Sania said in a statement.
“Sania Mirza is a pride of India. She has an international standing on her own… So, we have no objection…. She is brand ambassador of India,” said information and broadcasting minister Prakash Javadekar while taking a stand for BJP and making it clear that the comments made by K Laxman has nothing to do with BJP as a party.